A comparative analysis of public sector restructuring in the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean

We examine public sector restructuring in North America: and selected Commo nwealth Caribbean nations. Although all the countries studied experienced s ignificant restructuring in response to public debt pressures, there were m ajor differences across countries in the magnitude, pace, form, and the man ner in which restructuring decisions were made. These differences reflect t he state of economic development and institutional characteristics, e.g., t he role of the state and the industrial relations system. In developing cou ntries, international lending institutions played a major role in transform ing the role of the state. In developed countries, the inherent stability o f the economic systems and institutional pressures led to a gradualist appr oach to restructuring.